Valve



" May?, 1929. 4 T E, FORD 1,112,298

` v Y v ATTORNEY May 7,1929. T B, FORD 1,712,298

VALVE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 mvENToR wnNEssEs 47 fmmajjblz/ .BY M MAZ/W 50 77 ATroRNEY patented May '7, 1929.

uuiTEn sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FORD, O1? NEW YORK, N. Y., SSIGNR T0 FORD REGULATOR VALVE C0.

NO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A OORPORATON OF NEW YORK.

VALVE.

l `applicationfiled February 6, 1928. Serial No. 2.l,227.

the valve of the present invention may have a wide and varied range of utility, and may he used for controllingthe flow of va-V riouf-i types of liquid and gaseous fluids. TLWhile the valve is adapted for use as a check valve or pressure relief valve, it finds its jfuiucipal l.leld of usefulness as a combined pr ure-rmlueing valve, stop valve, limited pressure s-.supply valve, and full pressure supply valve.

The valve is peculiarly well suited for controlling" the flow ofwater to a lire hose, and u. feature of the `inventifm. is the fact that the valve may he set to limit with accuracy the pressure of: the water which is delivered to the hose. l

llllh en l. refer to the accuracy with which the valve may he regulated, l assume of course tha t it is to be used with a water supply ine under constantiulet or high pressure, such as may he found in practically all tall buildings which use a roof tank for supply purposes.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a pressure reducing valve which may be adj ustably set to prevent the delivery of fluid therethrough at a pressure above a predetermined maximum pressure. Such adjustable setting` means may be convenient ly locked against imauthoriaed tampering, but the locking means may be conveniently disengaged or rendered inoperative by an authorized person, such for instance as by a lireman to permit valve adjustment for increased or full water pressures when an emergency occurs.

By virtue of this arrangement, I obviate the possibility of an unauthorized and eX- citable person turning on a stream of water at full pressure in oiiice building corridors or other locations wherethe devices may be used. Consequently, the use of the valve,

sumin o that its orininal adiustment and `lock- D i i .l

ing are to be controlled by the proper authorities, prevents serious accidents occurring when amateur liremen attempt to turn on the water supply. At the same time the valve is designed to permit the duly constituted lire authorities to have access to full water pres:f

sure whenever it is needed.

Other and more general objects of themvention are to provide a combination pressure reducing,l and stop valve in which all the phases of pressure adjustment -andfmanual operation may be quickly; and conveniently effected for use on steam or air piping` pressure systems, avalve of simple, practical construction, which Will be rugged, durable and eliicient in use, well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture, and having a range of adjustment which well adapts it to practically any conventional pressure system.

l/Vith the above noted and other objectsin view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through one form of valve embodying the invention, this view showing` the valve in its Y eating the full stop position of the valve.

Fig. 2 is a similar view,`but showing the valve set to supply fluid under a limited or reduced pressure, and locked in such posi tion. With this valve setting, an unauthorized person might reduce water pressures, but could not increase them beyond the maXimum for which the device is set.

Fig. `3 is a top plan View of the valve.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through a modified form of adjustment mechanism.

Referring first to Figures l to 3 inclusive, of the drawings, l have illustrated a valve which includes a casing1 l() having an interior valve seat at ll. The valve casing is internally threaded as at 12 beneath the valve seat, so that it may be coupled to a supply line, and is provided above the seat with an externally threaded boss 13 adapted to be coupled to a hose line or other suitable delivery pipe.

The valve bonnet indicated generally at 14: includes a cylindrical apron portion V15 screwed into the open top of the valve casing and formed with the usual external flange 16 which abuts the casing. The apron also inc udes the usual upstanding hollow cylindrical extension 17 provided with a stuffing box 18 at its top through which the Unthreaded i portioniof the valve stein 19 works. The

threaded section` of the valve works through 'the usual threaded passageway 21 atv the bottom of the extension 17.

The valve dise 22 which coaets with'the seat Y 11, is preferably clamped between av plate 23 and a flange 24, the latterV being integral with a cylinder 25 having a threaded depending extension 26 on to which the plate 23 is screwed. Cylinder 25 receives the lowerend of the valve stem 19, and a head or flange 27 on the valve stein has limited movement in the cylinder between the bottom of the cylinder and a bushing 28 screwed into the top of the cylinder andlocked'by a set screw29.

I The cylinder and stem headarrangement provide a lost motion connection between the valveand valve `stem which may be taken up to afgreaterorless extent by a coiled spring 30. i' This'vspring encireles the cylinder 25 and Y thelower end oit the stem 19 bearing at its lower end against the flange 24 and at its upperen'd against a retaining ring 31, the latter bein backed against a collar 32 screwed on to the nely threaded section 33 of the valve stein immediately below the portion 21 and lockedY by `a screw 34. The collar 32 tits the Y cylindrical portion 15 of the bonnet apron,

and serves as an auxiliary guide. means when the valve stein is screwed upwardly to hlt the valve roinithe position shown in Fig. l. In

. Fig.l 1 the valve ,is shown in what may be n. termed neutral position. .The spring 30 is not Yunder compression, and any pressure of water againstthe under Vtace of theV valve will tend to lift the saine. In this position, the device may conveniently .serve as an ordinary One-wa llovv s rine check valve. lVlien the valve, the valve stem may be set at any` positionbetweenits .full line and dotted line position of-Fig..1compressing thespring 3() to any .desired extent. YIn any of theseA intermediate positions, the valve may function as a pressure-reducing valve. The water issues trom the. outlet .13- atA a pressure equal to the diilerence between the `pressure in the supply line ,and the pressure of the spring. The devicewhenlthus set 'serves as a convenient relief valvefor steam systems or the like, where safety Ipressures are to be maintained.

f .It .will .also be aliiparent that if the valve steniis screwed upwardly 'from the full line position of Fig. 1, luntil the collar 32 is iiisin which may be used to set the device for use as a limited pressure valve, and render iinpossible unauthorized opening ot the valve to full pressure supply position. This mecha- `4nisni as above noted includes an adjustment feature which permits the valve to be set for any limited pressure desired.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the upper outer end of the valve stem 19 is a handle plate or hand wheel 35 preferably of circular shape. A socket 3G in the top ot the stem 19 receives the threaded depending extension 37 of a hub member 38. Beariinr plates 259 and t-O are clamped between the hu i and wheel 35, and the hub and a nut. L11 thereon respectively. An adjusting plate 42 is rotatable about the hub 38, its central portion being contlned between tlie bearing plates 39 and Nl0.

An outwardly facing ring gear 13 is integral with the plate ft2, and the teeth of this gear are in mesh with pinions il secured to the 'upper ends oi' .sha tts 45. These sha1 ls are disposed in vertical position parallel to the valve stein 19, have bearingsI in the hand wheel 35, and collars #iti beneath the pinionI which rest on the upper surface ol the wheel 35.

A lloating yoke member li encircles the bonnet extension 17, this member carrying at opposite sides internally threaded hollow shafts 48 engaged with the lower threaded ends ii-9 ots the shafts 45. Downwai'd movement ol the lloating yoke lf is limited by the top of the cylindrical bonnet portion 15 and upward movement thereof is limited by a collai 50 encircling the bonnet extension 1T immediately below the stulling box 1S.

An opening 51 in the periphery ot the wheel 35'is adapted to be aligned with any one of a series of openings 52 in the adjusting plate 42, so that a sealed wire passed through the opening 51 and any of the openings 52 will effeetively lock plate 42 and hand wheel 35 against independent rotary movement. and will coiise-pieiilly prevent any rt-laliw :uljustinent of the shafts 45 and 48.

ith the parts in the full line position of Fig. 1, it will be noted that the yoke 47 is in its central neutral position between its two stop means, and that this yoke travelling upwardly or downwardly with the valve stem is ineffective to prevent any valve adjustmentv from the full stop position indicated in dot ted lines to the full pressure supply position where the collar 34 abuts the bonnet.

Theoretically, the floating yoke 47 might be adjusted by rotating the plate 42 independently ofthe hand wheel 35 to a position where it would lock the valve either in the full pressure supply position, or the full stop dotted line position of Fig. 1. In the former inlill Iii

imanes stance, the yoke would be moved down against the bonnet while the valve was in its uppermost position, and it the plate l2 and 35 were then locked together, the valve stem could not l i shifted downwardly to seat the valve.

In the second instance mentioned, for locking,` the device in tull stop position, the stem would be moved to the tullstop position and the yoke if? then moved against the collar 50 and locked so Vthat the valve stem could not be raised. i

The above statement as to possible locking positions et the adjustable yoke 4"? while explanatory ot its possibilities as a locking device, is not particularly important from a practicalstandpoint. Th e primary and outstaiidling,l function oit the yoke is to prevent the spring', when set tor a given maximum water pressure, to be released to an extent which would permit a higher tluid pressure.

'lhis typical function oit the adjustable limiting' means is clearly aflipurent .trom 2 in which it will. be noted that the spring 'lll has heen partially compressed by screwing" down the valve stem 19 'trom the position ot' il. Also, the adj usting plate l2 has been rotated in a clockwise direction, so that the .sha tts 415 have been entered more deeply into the hollow shafts 49. A seal 51 has been applied` to jnevcnt independent rotation of the plate 41?; and wheel 85. llllith the parts inthis position it will be apparent that the wheel and plate l2 may be rotated together to niove lne valve stein down to a 'lull stop position, but that `rotation thereof in the other direc tion to relieve tension on the spring' is limited by 'the engagement oit the floating,` yoke 1li' with the collar 50. Thus, it the spring in 52 is set tor 30 lbs. pressure and the water in the supply line at lbs. pressure, it is impossible for more than a 30 lb. pressure stream to issue through the out-let 1.3. It is possible however, li'or an unauthorized person to reduce the pressure of water issuing 'from the outlet by screwing,r the valve stem down and lfurther compressing the spring. In praC- tice, with the parts adjusted as shown in Fig. Y 2, the valve stem will normally be disposeda. in its tull stop position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. It a lire occurs however, and an unauthorized person attempts to open the valve and feed water to a lire hose, they can only open it to a point where water under 30 lbs. pressure will enter the hose. When the tire department arrive on the scene, however, and decide that greater pressures are desirable, they may break the seal and rotate the plate 42 in a counter clockwise direction independently of the hand wheel, after which thehand wheel may be turned to move the valve to lull pressure supply position.

To brietly recapitulate, I have provided a valve which may serve as a one-way check valve, as a pressure regulating valve, as an automatic relief valve, as a full pressure supply valve, or as a limited pressure supply valve. I have also provided adjustable means l'or predetermining the setting` of the device when used toi-limited pressure supply pur poses, so that the device may be arranged to deliver Huid at any predetermined limited pressure.

It may be further noted that the adjustable limiting means may it desired be used for selectively locking the valve against un authorized manipulation when it is in tull stop position, or tull pressure supply position. n

In the foregoing` description I have entered rather lully into the structural details ot the valve mechanism and adjustment mechanisn'i, although it will be quite apparent that both ot such mechanisms are subject to a wide variety el striutural embodiments within the scope oit the present invention.

l have illustrated in Fig. l one typical alternative construction lor the adjustment mechanism. In this term o't the invention a Heating yoke LIT correspondingto the yoke 4-7 carries rods 4:5 working through openings 60 in the hand wheel 3F and having their upper ends connected to a cross head (5l, which cross head is vertically adjustable by a screw 62 passing?,l therethrough and bearing against the top ot the valve stem '19. In this form ot the invention the cross head Gl and the screw handle 63 are provided with aligned openings (Si tor the reception ot a sealing device, and adjustingl ol the yoke 41T toward and away Yfrom the hand wheel 35 is simply elected by turning the screw 62 to raise and lower the cross head 6l and with it the yoke 47e.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might be iliade in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing .trom the invention. Heiloo I do not wish to limit myself to the details set iorth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly tall within the spirit and scope ol the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve including a casing havingI an inlet and outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve to coact with said seat, an axially shiftable valve stem, a lost motion connection between said valve and stem, a coiled expansion spring interposed between the valve and stem and tending to resist relative movement thereof in a direction to take up the lost mo tion, adjustable means to limit relative movement of the valve and stem in the opposite direction, and a bonnet on the casing through which the stem is axially movable, a floating yoke :forming `part of said adjustable means and engageable with stop means on the bonnet.

2; A valve including; a easinghaving an inlet and outlet and a. valve seat therebetween,

avalvefto coact with said seat, an axially slnftable valve stem, a lost -motion connection between said valve and stem, a coiled ex- -pansion spring interposed between the valve and stem and tending toresist relative movement thereof in as direction to vtake up the lost motion, adjustable means to limit relative .movement of the valve and stem in the opposite direction, a bonnet on the casing through which the stem is axially movable, a floating yoke forming Lpart of saidadjustable means and engageable with stop means on the bonnet, a Vhandle on the valve stem, and yoke adjusting means associated with the handle.

.lostr motion,`adjustable means to limit relative movement of the valve and stem in the opposite direction, .a bonnet on the easing through `which the stem is axially movable, a. tloatingyoke forming Vpart of said adjustable means and Yengageable with stop means on the bonnet, a handle on the valve stem,

yoke adjusting means associated with the handle, and means for locking the yoke ad- "justing means and handle, and thereby the yoke and stem against relative movement.

4. A valve including a. body and a bonnet,

' abody having inlets and outlets therein, :l valve seat betweenaaid inlets and outlets, va valve coacting with the seat, said vulve having a. cylindrical extension, a valve stem carried by and axially adjustable through the bonnet, a bead tixcd to the valve stem having limited movement in the cylindrical valve extension whereby to provide a lost motion oon nection, flanges fixed to the stem and cylinder, and a coiled expansion spring confined hetween them and encircling the stem, uid spring opposing movement of the sten tu take up the lost motion, a fioatng collar encircling the bonnet and adj ustably fixed to move with the stem, and stop means on the bonnet to limit movement of the collar, and consequently the valve stem.

5. A valve including a Casin provided vwith an inlet, an outlet, and a va ve seat between them, a valve adapted to ooact with the seat, an axially shiftable valve stem, a lost motion connection between the valve and stem, a spring opposing relative movement ot the valve and stem to take up such lost motion, and tendingl when under compression to urge the valve against its seat, means whereby axial movement of the stem in one direction when the valve is seated compresses the spring, and adjnstable means for limiting movement oi the stem in the opposite direction.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and Slate of New York, this 1st day of February, A. D. 1928.

THOMAS B. FORD. 

